Mayor Rilling recently announced that Darleen Hoffler, the Supervisor of Clinical Services for the Norwalk Health Department, has been awarded the first annual Connecticut Public Health Nurse of the Year Award by the Connecticut Association of Public Health Nurses (CAPHN). The CAPHN focuses on enhancing public health and wellness of communities through advancing the role and identity of public health nursing practice.
Darleen Hoffler is a longtime Norwalk resident who has served as a clinician in the Norwalk Health Department for over 30 years. As a clinician, she oversees its Preventable Diseases & Clinical Services division, which operates several clinics and other programs related to communicable disease and maternal and childhood health.
"For over 30 years, Darleen has dedicated her career to improving public health and advancing health equity within our community by providing compassionate and high-quality care to patients," said Mayor Rilling. "The Connecticut Public Health Nurse of the Year Award required extensive criteria to be chosen for this award, and Darleen offered skills in every category and more. We are so fortunate to have her leadership and public health skills here in Norwalk, and our community is better off for them."
The extensive criteria for the Connecticut Public Health Nurse of the Year Award included excellence in public health practice, innovative initiatives, leadership and advocacy, health equity, evidence-based practice, community engagement and professional development. In her role as Supervisor of Clinical Services, she oversees various clinical services and programs, including the Travel & Adult Immunization Clinic, Tuberculosis & Communicable Disease Control Program, Sexual Health Clinic, Childhood Immunization Services, the Women, Infants, and Children's (WIC) Program, Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Program, and our Immunization Action Plan (IAP) Program. Her team consists of eleven staff members, with whom she provides guidance and support for program initiatives and responsibilities. Her and her team's efforts significantly impact the community, including helping the Norwalk region consistently receive the highest childhood vaccination rates in the state (83% of children born in 2020 received their recommended vaccines by their second birthday). Darleen and her team have also worked tirelessly to ensure that children receive the services needed in a reasonable time for school entry and in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
"Darleen was instrumental in our response to COVID-19 where she mobilized her staff, volunteers, and the Norwalk Public Schools’ nurses to assist with contact tracing and guidance to community members and organizations," said Deanna D'Amore, Director of the Norwalk Health Department. "During the vaccine rollout, she helped us strategize how clinics could operate at unique spaces like the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk Bow Tie Cinema, small churches, parks, and other non-traditional spaces throughout the community. During the pandemic, she could have chosen an early retirement package but instead stayed to see her community through a very challenging time, and we would have been lost without her."
"Darleen is very knowledgeable about the ever-evolving needs of the Greater Norwalk community and has built trusted relationships with community stakeholders, including both federally qualified health centers in Norwalk and the school-based health centers," continued Deanna D'Amore, Director of the Norwalk Health Department. "As a fierce advocate, Darleen asks for additional resources within the department when they are needed to better serve the community and to combat staff burnout, such as building the case for more state and local funding for the Norwalk WIC program, resulting in the addition of a Nutrition Aide. The Norwalk Health Department has received several recognitions for our work, including a Distinguished Service Award from Norwalk Community College in 2022 and the William O. Murphy Family Strengthening Award from the Family & Children's Agency in 2021, and Darleen made a large contribution to allow us to receive these awards."
Darleen is a member of the Connecticut Sexual Health Coalition, where she shares best practices with colleagues and stays informed of the latest news and updates to practice guidelines. She has integrated Hepatitis C testing within the clinic and ensures staff are able to provide linkages to treatment. She reviews the latest research on flu vaccines each year and organizes meetings with health department staff who assist with community clinics to discuss the findings and how best to deliver health promotion messaging to increase uptake in vaccination.